Garuda Statue Popularizes Made Ada’s Name

9 Dec 2018

CARVING works in the form of garuda or eagle has popularized the name of Made Ada. These days, thousands of foreign tourists visit the Adaguna Museum every month, displaying the Made Ada’s wood carvings at Pakudui hamlet, Kedisan, Tegallalang, Gianyar.

In the museum officially opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on December 31, 2002, visitors are served with the splendor of Made Ada’s works, most of which are garuda statues.

Indeed, this grandfather of seven grandchildren does not merely carve garuda statue. However, it is the garuda statue that has made his name famous. His work spread throughout the world. “My statue is on display at Indonesian embassies overseas,” said the father of five sons.

Made Ada inherited his father’s sculpting talent, I Nyoman Kampih. Apart from his father, he also learned to carve from his grandfather, so the man who was born on August 18, 1948 has been already adept at making sculptures when he was a teenager. But at that time, nobody seemed to pay attention to his works. Until one day in 1981 President Soeharto visited Made Ada’s house and fell in love with his works.

“Mr. Harto bought all of my statues,” he said. Furthermore, Made Ada’s life changed dramatically. ‘Country assignments’ gave him an opportunity to travel around the world.

“Every year Mr. Harto sent me overseas twice,” he said. He also met with major figures in the world such as Ronald Reagan and Vladimir Putin. Not only with Suharto, Made Ada was also ‘close’ with the next Indonesian presidents such as Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Sukarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“In 2003, I was invited by Mrs. Mega to the palace of Mr. Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin,” he said. It is the maestro’s big name that has made him trusted to prepare 1,000 pieces of Garuda statue for souvenirs of the delegates of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in Nusa Dua last October.

“I involved around one hundred carvers from my village,” he said. At the Adaguna Museum, there is a five-meter-high garuda statue that makes visitors stunned. Other than the matter of size, they are also amazed at the ‘complexity’ of the wood carvings. The statue was once bargained by a buyer at IDR 900 million, but Made Ada did not release it. And, there is another seven-meter high Garuda statue becoming a collection of hotel at Dalung, Kuta

. Made Ada said he does not know the exact number of collections of statues in his museum. Obviously, he has agreed with his sons not to sell any statues in the museum. He wanted that after his death the works will continue to be enjoyed by visitors. Face of Made Ada exuded cheerfulness when he told about the plan to celebrate the museum’s anniversary on December 27. He hoped that someday President Joko Widodo stops at the Adaguna Museum.